Around five years back, I suddenly planned a face lift for our small garden area. After cleaning up the garden I bought a nice pot to be used as compost pit. We collected the vegetable and fruit waste in this pot and used it as manure. I used to throw the rotten tomatoes as well.

In our new duplex home we made planters on the compound wall and the parapet wall. My hubby mixed soil with the compost we had collected over the years and planted some rose cuttings. After around two weeks the planters were filled with tomato plants. We re potted them and have harvested over 100 tomatoes till now. Another hundred can be plucked in a week:).

Thakkali Koottu (Tomato koottu )

Cooking with home grown vegetables is very satisfying and you know there are no artificial fertilizers or pesticides. The aroma of freshly plucked vegetables is heavenly.

Ingredients

Raw tomatoes – 6 to 8

Moong dal – 1/4 cup

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt – to taste

For the paste

Grated coconut – 1 tbs

Coriander seeds – 1/2 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Channa dal – 1 tsp

Hing – a small piece

Red-chili – 1 no

Oil – 1 tsp

For the seasoning

Ghee – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – 5 nos

Red chilli – 1 no

Method

Slice the tomatoes into long pieces.Place in a MW safe bowl and mix with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. MW high for 5 minutes

Pressure cook the moong dal with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder.

Roast the ingredients for the paste except coconut in 1 tsp oil, add coconut and grind to a smooth paste.

Add cooked moong dal, ground paste and salt to the tomatoes and mix well.Add a little water to get Koottu consistency.

Mw high for 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Cut the red chili into small pieces.

Heat 1 tsp ghee and add the mustard seeds and red chili; when the mustard crackles add the curry leaves. Add the seasoning to the koottu.